One to Buy: 1 owner 9000km ultra rare in Black 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale (SOLD)
Having considered four-wheel drive too complex for its first Group B special, the 037, Lancia soon found itself being eclipsed by Peugeot and Audi who made no such mistake.
In order to recover the Driver and Manufacturer titles that had departed Italy for Germany and France after 1983, Lancia commissioned what would come to be regarded as the ultimate expression of the Group B theme: the Delta S4.
With a state-of-art specification that included a turbocharged and supercharged engine, the Delta S4 was the fastest, most powerful and most spectacular Group B machine to grace the special stages before the rule makers called time owing to one too many fatal accidents.
While the overwhelming majority of Delta S4s produced during the latter part of 1985 were red with tan alcantara upholstery, a handful of cars came in different body colours and with leather trim.
One such machine was chassis ‘005’ which will be going under the hammer at Bonhams Quail Lodge auction on August 18th.
Purchased direct from Lancia on September 14th 1987, ‘005’ has remained with the same owner ever since, during which time it has formed the cornerstone of an impressive Group B collection.
Configured in ultra rare black with red leather upholstery, chassis ‘005’ has covered a little under 9000km from new. It comes with a fully documented history back to day one and is being offered in excellent original condition throughout.
Reprinted below is Bonhams’ description:
VIN: ZLA038AR000000005
Just one dedicated owner from new with factory delivery
Rare Group B homologation car with 'twin-charged' engine
Highly original condition
Less than 8900km on the odometer
Offered with original purchase documentation and owner's manual
The battle for Group B rally car supremacy raged from the class's inception in 1982 until its demise a short time later at the end of the 1986 season. Nonetheless, automakers Audi, Citröen, Fiat, Ford, Lancia, Opel, Peugeot and Rover invested heavily into the practically unlimited class.
Encouraged by the absence of restrictions present in other rally classes, innovative automotive technologies such as all-wheel drive, 'twin-charging' and the use of space-age materials like Kevlar found their way into some of the homologation and competition vehicles that remain legendary to this day.
Drawing on the success of the Lancia Rally 037, executives set in motion their plans for a successor to the retiring rear-wheel drive platform. Facing stiff competition from other automakers who had successfully implemented all-wheel drive systems and higher output engines, Lancia conceptualized and constructed its new platform, the Delta S4.
With its focus set on a lightweight, all-wheel drive platform, the development team elected to conform to requirements of the naturally-aspirated 2,500cc (forced induction limited to 1,785cc) class to compete with its main opponent, the Peugeot 205 T16.
Compared to the 037, which competed in the larger displacement but heavier 3,000cc class, the Delta S4 was permitted to compete at a reduced minimum weight of 890kg. It proved more than formidable, as the Delta S4 was the most powerful Group B Rally car that Lancia ever produced. It ended up winning its debut race at the 1985 RAC Rally.
The foundation of the Delta S4 chassis started with a CroMoly steel tubular space frame. Reinforced with aluminum alloy, the steel skeleton was then covered with epoxy and fiberglass body panels. With pick up points for the suspension welded to the tube frame sections, maintaining and repairing the suspension proved a straightforward process.
The latticed, tubular frame also permitted easy access to the engine, transmission and the all-wheel driveline for maintenance and repair. This was particularly important since driveline components could potentially fail during a rally stage, and a quick repair meant the difference between competing in the next stage or dropping out of a race.
Mounted within the tubular lattice work of the rear section, engineers positioned the oversquare (88.5mm bore x 71.5mm stroke) 1,759cc Lancia mill. Instead of seating iron or hard alloy cylinder liners, this engine featured aluminum cylinder bores with a hardened ceramic surface to handle the rigors of the combustion process.
Always innovating, the engineers sought a way to generate more power without sacrificing bottom end response. Given the turbocharger technology of the day, the Lancia Delta S4's inline four-cylinder engine could have reached a staggering 480+ horsepower (in full WRC race trim with calibration). However, this peak power output would come at the sacrifice of bottom-end response.
To compensate for the notorious turbo lag, Lancia incorporated a responsive, positive-displacement supercharger. Its successful implementation of the first twin-charged forced induction solution served in both the homologation vehicles and the full racecars. The engine powering the homologation vehicles employed a Weber-Marelli IAW Integrated Electronic Ignition and Fuel Injection system conservatively calibrated to generate 247bhp at 6,750rpm and 215 lb-ft torque at 4,500rpm.
Engineers mated a 5-speed transmission to the full-time all-wheel driveline of the twin-charged engine to get all four wheels turning. This driveline included a new center differential that delivers a 30/70 torque split to the open front differential and the limited slip rear differential, respectively.
Inside the Delta S4's cabin, the two-seat cockpit came adorned with Alcantara upholstery, sound deadening, a suede steering wheel, power steering, a trip computer and air conditioning. Although sparsely equipped for street duty, the absence of just about anything not pertaining to driving or competition contributed to the weight reductions.
The Motorcar Offered
This highly original example of the rare Delta S4 was purchased new from Lancia on September 14, 1987, and has remained in that same ownership ever since.
The enthusiast owner – I highly respected pioneer in the car collecting field – would take factory delivery, and the lovely Italian EE tourist plates can still be found on the Lancia today. The Delta S4 has formed part of the most impressive group of Group B Homologation cars, where it was considered a cornerstone.
The one-owner Delta S4 remains in highly original condition, including the Alcantara and leather interior and most the exterior. The odometer reads less than 8,900 kilometers (5,400 miles), a figure that is indeed believed to be the original mileage from new.
The car is offered with a large history file containing original purchase documentation, Lancia spare parts catalog and Owner's Manual, and a set of spare wheels. A full service, including the replacement of the timing belt, would be recommended before use.
Finding a good Delta S4 can be very difficult, as many of them led a hard life for obvious reasons. The example offered here, with just one single dedicated owner from new and in such original condition, is really an opportunity not to be missed.
